Development of Low-Cost Sensing Technologies for Measuring Air Quality

Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation

Citations

Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/qv33rw876

Abstract

In order to protect human health and the environment, it is necessary to measure ozone concentrations in the atmosphere. State and federal regulatory agencies take continuous measurements of ozone concentrations and fluxes at centralized locations, but current monitoring systems are costly, and the number of sites is limited. The work discussed in this dissertation aims to address this challenge through the development of low-cost instruments that measure ozone flux. We developed low-cost flux chambers that accurately measure ozone dry deposition when paired with 2B ozone monitors. While we concluded that the least expensive sensors available, metal-oxide ozone sensors, are not suitable for use with these chambers, the cost of the chambers in combination with 2B ozone monitors ( $7000) is much lower than the cost of eddy covariance measurement systems. Additionally, many research groups already own ozone monitors, which can be attached to a flux chamber, which results in an additional cost of only $2000. Also, a complete overhaul of the models we use to calibrate metal-oxide ozone sensors for use in ambient ozone monitors resulted in a 42% improvement in the prediction of high ozone concentrations. The modeling algorithms developed in this work can be applied to all of the sensors used by our group, which will improve results for a number of studies.

Creator